MCAT Writing Syllabus & Samples

[nebbione]

On the MCAT website are provided a syllabus for the writing section, a scoring guide, and a series of sample essays from 7 topics.

No offensive to whoever received the "6" on the first essay topic, but there was nothing spectacular about that essay, even for a first draft. It was good - I give it that much, but the way the reviewer praised it was, well, excessive.

In fact, the reviewer itself makes a number of grammatical blunders in reviewing the piece. There are missing periods, commas, arbitrary parentheses, and sentences that lose the reader.

I think the MCAT folks should take a glance at what they're uploading and perhaps take a moment to correct the rough sample packet that they're providing on their website.

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[QuantumMechanic]

the WS isn't really regarded by most people in the admissions field as too important and you just showed gave an example of how this is evident by the AAMC itself!

for the WS to come into play, you probably have to get a low letter score. otherwise I haven't heard of it really being an issue.

 

[QofQuimica]

On the MCAT website are provided a syllabus for the writing section, a scoring guide, and a series of sample essays from 7 topics.

No offensive to whoever received the "6" on the first essay topic, but there was nothing spectacular about that essay, even for a first draft. It was good - I give it that much, but the way the reviewer praised it was, well, excessive.

In fact, the reviewer itself makes a number of grammatical blunders in reviewing the piece. There are missing periods, commas, arbitrary parentheses, and sentences that lose the reader.

I think the MCAT folks should take a glance at what they're uploading and perhaps take a moment to correct the rough sample packet that they're providing on their website.

I think you are misunderstanding what the WS is actually testing. They don't care too much about whether you're a brilliant writer. They're looking to see whether you can follow directions and develop the topic. You are given three tasks to do for every essay. If you do them, you go into the top half of the score ranges. If you don't, you go into the bottom half. Then, if your essay has depth of thought to it and is well-organized, you move up into the 5-6 range. You don't have to be a brilliant writer to score a 6 on the WS.

 

[shantster]

On the MCAT website are provided a syllabus for the writing section, a scoring guide, and a series of sample essays from 7 topics.

No offensive to whoever received the "6" on the first essay topic, but there was nothing spectacular about that essay, even for a first draft. It was good - I give it that much, but the way the reviewer praised it was, well, excessive.

In fact, the reviewer itself makes a number of grammatical blunders in reviewing the piece. There are missing periods, commas, arbitrary parentheses, and sentences that lose the reader.

I think the MCAT folks should take a glance at what they're uploading and perhaps take a moment to correct the rough sample packet that they're providing on their website.

Like you say, it's a first draft. They more focus on content than grammar, etc. Just know the directions and how to follow them. There's not much more to the WS than that.

 

[Avalanche21]

I received an N on my writing sample...not sure how this happened. I took a course with Kaplan and performed the three tasks on every single practice. Maybe I was hallucinating or something during the WS and wrote something messed up, I dunno.

Either way, it wasn't brought up during the interview. I'm not saying you should blow it off, but don't freak out about it either. Good luck!

 

[Avalanche21]

By the way, I took the MCAT in April 2005, and one of my topics was definitely loaded...I'd post it, but I think I'm not supposed to do that.

 

[QofQuimica]

By the way, I took the MCAT in April 2005, and one of my topics was definitely loaded...I'd post it, but I think I'm not supposed to do that.

No, please don't do that. 🙂

 

[Lests55]

No, please don't do that. 🙂

Yeah, don't tick off the AAMC. Of all the enemies in the world to make... 😱

 

[odependent]

I have heard from people that the AAMC used to post about 250 prompts on their websites. Now they stopped doing it because people would do all the 250. Does anyone have the previous prompts saved?

Thanks.

 

[Avalanche21]

I have heard from people that the AAMC used to post about 250 prompts on their websites. Now they stopped doing it because people would do all the 250. Does anyone have the previous prompts saved?

Thanks.

That's hardcore

 

[Avalanche21]

No, please don't do that. 🙂

Ya, I wasn't sure what was allowed and what wasn't. So are we allowed to talk about test passages in general, or technically not at all?

 

[DrBowtie]

I have heard from people that the AAMC used to post about 250 prompts on their websites. Now they stopped doing it because people would do all the 250. Does anyone have the previous prompts saved?

Thanks.

Here it is. It's still on the website:
http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/about/wsitems.htm

 

[QofQuimica]

Ya, I wasn't sure what was allowed and what wasn't. So are we allowed to talk about test passages in general, or technically not at all?

You can talk about the test in general, but no specific questions or answers. So you can say that you wrote an essay about money, but don't say that the actual prompt was, "Money is the root of all evils." Basically if it's going to give a future test-taker an idea of exactly what the question asked, you shouldn't post it.

Edit: I'll put that link in the Sticky at the top of the page. Thanks for getting that, Brett.

 

[jsnuka]

Here it is. It's still on the website:
http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/about/wsitems.htm

Far and away the BEST post ever typed on here!!!!!! 👍 🙂

OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!

 

[Nutmeg]

Hey, piss off! The writing sample is the most important of all, and they reviewers are sagely folks with keen insight and unfailing judgement! 😀